Battle of Tall al Kabīr
The Battle of Tall al Kabīr, fought in 1882, was a significant military engagement during the ʿUrābī Revolution in Egypt. Colonel ʿUrābī Pasha commanded a fortified position with extensive earthworks and artillery, defending the critical Ismailia-to-Cairo railroad. British General Garnet Joseph Wolseley opted for a surprise night attack rather than a conventional assault, aiming to minimize casualties. At 1:30 a.m., British troops advanced towards the Egyptian trenches, unexpectedly bypassing the strongest defenses. Despite a brief firefight when discovered, the element of surprise was crucial, leading to a swift British victory. By the battle's conclusion, approximately 2,000 Egyptian soldiers were killed or wounded, while British losses were significantly lower. The victory at Tall al Kabīr resulted in the surrender of Cairo, effectively ending the ʿUrābī Revolution and marking a pivotal moment in British colonial history in Egypt. This battle is often studied for its strategic innovations and the impact it had on the region's political landscape.
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Battle of Tall al Kabīr
Type of action: Ground battle in Anglo-Egyptian War
Date: September 13, 1882
Location: Railway station, about sixteen miles west of Zagazig
Combatants: 17,400 British vs. 22,000 Egyptians
Principal commanders:British, Garnet Joseph Wolseley, First Viscount (1833–1913); Egyptian, ʿUrābī Pasha (1839–1911)
Result: Decisive British victory
Colonel ʿUrābī Pasha held a strong position on high ground commanding the Ismailia-to-Cairo railroad. Weeks of hard work produced a series of earthworks supported by artillery revetments. Stretching nearly four miles, the entrenchments covered 20,000 men and seventy-five guns; in the rear were a small reserve of three battalions, five guns, and 1,700 cavalry.
General Garnet Joseph Wolseley instantly ruled out a conventional assault, as this he believed would “have entailed very great loss.” Instead, he opted for a night advance, hoping to surprise the Egyptians, get close, and overwhelm their defenses. His reserves, mainly cavalry, were to race for Cairo after the infantry took care of Tall al Kabīr.
At 1:30 a.m., two British columns began an advance on the Egyptian trenches. Both veered off of their planned axis; however, this turned into a stroke of luck, bypassing the strongest enemy works. Finally uncovered by Egyptian picquets at 4:55 a.m., some British troops were within two hundred yards of the main line.
Although a sharp firefight broke out, Wolseley’s novel tactics paid off. The Egyptians were surprised; ʿUrābī himself was asleep in the rear. By 5:30 a.m., with 2,000 dead and numerous wounded, the remaining Egyptians fled. British losses amounted to 57 killed and 412 wounded.
Significance
England’s victory caused the surrender of Cairo, which ended the ʿUrābī Revolution.
Bibliography
Barthorp, Michael. War on the Nile. Poole, Dorset, England: Blandford Press, 1984.
Featherstone, Donald. Tel el-Kebir 1882: Wolseley’s Conquest of Egypt. London: Osprey, 1993.
Nicolle, David. “Nizam-Egypt’s Army in the Nineteenth Century.” The Army Quarterly and Defense Journal 108, no. 1 (January, 1978): 69–78; no. 2 (April, 1978): 177–187.
Royle, Charles. The Egyptian Campaigns, 1882–1885. London: Hurst and Blackett, 1900.